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Does Training Evaluation Work?

This is a very popular discussion question. It goes along with how do you actually measure training. This is the first of a series of posts on the topic. In this posts, I want to talk about the evaluation sheets that are passed out after every seminar, lecture or course. It includes questions such as:

How did you like the workshop?

Did you get anything out of it?

How did the instructor do?

Did you like the lunch?

It’s a lot like a customer satisfaction survey. It’s never a bad idea to ask customers what they think.

However, I think the value of these evaluations is very limited. Just liking something doesn’t necessarily lead to learning, skill building or real change. This evaluation really won’t tell you if anything will have a lasting effect a day, a week or a month later. Here’s an example,

One of the training programs that always gets great reviews is style training. Style training comes in lots of different varieties and people like them. Everyone likes to here good things about themselves. However, being able to actually use this information to do anything significant on the job seldom happens. In fact, it’s more likely to be misused.

So, the point is..it’s nice to have happy participants. Much better than unhappy participants. However, don’t confuse happiness with learning.

4 Responses

Training evaluations after the class are often only good to capture real problems or complaints (usually from the complainers). They are only a level 1 evaluation and the only problem with post instruction surveys is that they are only the first step in evaluating training effectiveness.

If the training sponsor (manager or director) has clearly identified the skills that will be demonstrated as a result of the training and has a baseline measurement of effectiveness prior to training, then real evaluation of training effectiveness can begin. To keep it simple, there will be specific, measurable results that will demonstrate that learning took place.

Most training effectiveness is lost before and after the class. The classes are trained well (or not) and no one really knows because there is usually a huge disconnect between training and results. While this is not always the case, it happens more often than not.

Key to success in training: Measure the behaviors you want to impact with training before and after you train. If the behavior changes… training happened.

Training Evaluation Feedback can be quite effective when questions push participants to reflect on their learning and provide “real feedback” to questions like: How can you use what you learned today in your work environment?

Training Evaluation Feedback can be quite effective when questions invite participants to reflect on their learning and provide “real feedback” to questions like:

How can you use what you learned today in your work environment? and
What was missing from today’s learning to better achieve the same stated outcomes?

Being open to changing the delivery based on participants’ feedback will enhance the training effectiveness and ultimately future participants’ retention level.

We can collect better feedback if we build it into the day with an appropriate time allocation not just shuvving it in at the tail end of the day when people are storming out of the door exhausted. It also needs to be preceeded by an interactive training session which engaged the participants fully so they feel they are a part of the training success. If the day proved to be a collective experience where each participant contributed knowledge and experience and hence is evaluating him/herself as much as the course or facilitator, then the feedback should be more meaningful and in turn needs to be acted upon carefully before planning similar sessions in future.

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This blog is focused on anything related to learning faster. From time to time, I'll be posting about my book Learning Paths: Increase profits by reducing the time it takes to get up-to-speed (Pfeiffer 2004).
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